


The Lost Prince

by DetectiveOceanWaves



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Based on another film, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Magic, Violence, fighting evil, going on a journey, royal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-01 22:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4036273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DetectiveOceanWaves/pseuds/DetectiveOceanWaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year was 1916 and it was a night of celebration. It was the 300th anniversary of The Ranskahov Dynasty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The night of the celebration

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this story is based on one of my favorite films ever; Anastasia. If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend it! It was made in 1997 by The Warner Bros. You can choose to watch it now or after the story of course (or just not at all). Most of the major plot points will be very similar, if not exactly like the film but I tweaked some of the details to fit my story better. It may diverge from the plot at some point tho, we'll just have to see! Also I'm not yet sure how graphic this is gonna get, ratings may change in the future.
> 
> Russian translation at the end, provided by google translate. Feel free to comment/message me if you want to correct any of it. In fact, let me know if you find an English typo as well.

The year was 1916 and it was a night of celebration. It was the 300th anniversary of The Ranskahov Dynasty.

A young Vladimir ran from the ballroom and towards his eldest brother, with a paper of a drawing he had done himself as a gift.The boy was around eight years old, with blonde hair and a bright smile. He wore a beautiful coat fit for a prince. The Prince handed his brother, Anatoly, the drawing. Anatoly was the first born of the Emperor of Russia and was supposed to succeed his father but their grandmother had gotten very sick recently. She knew that her son would most likely be too busy to visit her but she wanted her eldest grandchild of five to be by her side at her last moments. Anatoly, who adored their grandmother, had accepted her dying wish and was headed to Paris that night. The brothers cared deeply for each other and Vladimir who was still young and immature, did not want his brother to leave him. He begged him not to go to Paris so Anatoly found a perfect gift to appease his brother, an elaborate golden music box.

A boy around Vladimir’s age was sneaking around behind them, eating an apple. He observed the brothers interaction, taking notice of the music box before a man appeared and dragged him back with a hushed, “Matt! You belong in the kitchen!”. The boy was a servant in the palace, trying to play hooky on the night of the ball.

Vladimir took no notice of the boy, too mesmerized by the music box his brother had just given him. “For me?” he said.

Anatoly took his necklace off and used it to unlock and load the box, making it play a melodic tune, beautifully carved miniature figures dancing inside.

Vladimir gasped, “It’s our lullaby!” he said. The brothers had a special lullaby they would sing together each night, before Vladimir went to sleep.

“You can play this each night and pretend it’s me singing, младший брат. I will miss you.” Anatoly said, handing Vladimir the box. Vladimir was sad to see his brother go but he was ecstatic to receive a gift from him. Anatoly began singing their lullaby lowly,

_“На ветру, пересечь море  
Слушайте эту песню, и помнить,”_

Vladimir took that as his cue and sang along. Their voices blending together smoothly.

_“Скоро вы будете дома со мной  
Однажды в декабре”_

They smiled at each other. Anatoly gave him the necklace. “Read what it says, Vladimir.”

It was then that Vladimir noticed the carvings on the necklace. It read, ‘вместе в Париже’, ‘together in Paris’. He gasped excitedly, “Really?” Anatoly nodded. Their grandmother also intended to leave her belongings to Anatoly so his stay in Paris was expected to be a long one. He wanted his little brother to go to Paris and stay with him someday. Vladimir couldn’t contain his excitement and hugged Anatoly. Both of them giggled.

A hushed silence fell through the ballroom. An unwanted man had entered the palace and was making his way towards the brothers father. The man looked almost sickly despite his thick build. His face was pale, as if he had just woken up from an eternal sleep. He was wearing holy robes but he was nowhere near holy. The crowd parted so that the man could walk through, out of fear for his very presence. This man was named Fisk, a former advisor who had committed treason.

The Emperor confronted Fisk, calling him a traitor and tried to drive him out of the palace. This angered the man and he sneered at the Tsar, daring him to banish him from the palace. Fisk raised his hand, revealing a thin lantern like reliquary that glowed green. He smirked, looking like he had already won.

“You think you can banish the great Fisk! Ha!” he raised the reliquary and pointed his finger at the Tsar, “With the unholy power invested in me, I banish you with a curse!”. The crowd gasped. “Mark my words! You and your family will DIE within the fortnight. I will not rest until I see the end of the Ranskahov line FOREVER!” he yelled out the last part and lifted the relic up. An ominous light flew from it and hit the chandelier, causing it to drop down to the floor. The crowd screamed in fright and fled the scene. Fisk had sold his soul to obtain this dark power to destroy the family he detested.

After that night, the hatred for the Ranskahov family seemed to spread to every citizen, prompting a revolution. Soon after, in the middle of the night, the revolts attacked the palace. The people inside tried to escape. The brothers were following a crowd of people, trying to escape. The sounds of the riot could be heard from outside, when Vladimir suddenly remembered the precious music box his brother had gotten him. He couldn’t leave it behind so he turned around and ran back into his room. Anatoly saw his little brother go back and ran after him, yelling for him to stop but Vladimir seemed to only have one thing on his mind. He ran into his room, getting the music box, Anatoly right behind him.

“Vladimir! We must hurry!” he said, holding onto Vladimir’s coat. He looked around, trying to find another exit. The door to the hallway was no longer safe.

There was a dark bat in the window observing them.

A door opened from the wall and a young brown haired boy peeked his head out. He saw the brothers and quickly grabbed them both and tried to push them towards the secret passageway.

“Please hurry! Come this way, out the servants corners.” he pushed them through the door. The bat saw them from the window and frantically flapped its wings. Vladimir dropped his music box on the way and tried to go back for it again but the servant boy pushed him back into the corner, “Go! Hurry!” he worriedly said. He slammed the doors a moment before men in military uniforms entered the room.

“Where are they, boy?” one of the men growled. The boy threw a vase at him, trying to fight back but he got hit in the head, knocking him out. He landed right near the music box Vladimir had dropped.

 

* * *

 

 

Vladimir and Anatoly were running on top of a frozen lake, Anatoly was leading them to the train.

“брат!” Vladimir called his brother, his voice shaking from the cold.

“Keep up with me, малютка. We’re close.” he tugged his brothers small hand, trying to reassure him.

Just when they ran under the bridge, Fisk jumped down from it, landing behind them. He rolled forwards and managed to grab onto Vladimir’s foot. Vladimir screamed and tried to get him to let go. Anatoly held onto Vladimir shoulders and tried to pull him back.

“YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME, CHILD!” Fisk laughed maniacally and the three of them struggled on top of the ice. As if a holy power tried to save them, the ice under Fisk cracked and gave out under his weight. The brothers took this chance to get as far away from him as possible and ran towards the train station. Fisk threw the reliquary to a thicker patch of ice before dropping into the lake. The dark bat landed beside him, “Master!” it yelled, hoping that his master would survive this. But it was too late, Fisk had drowned to his death. The bat looked crestfallen but swore to keep his masters reliquary safe.

 

* * *

 

 

The brothers were close to the train now. The train was already moving and they ran with all their might, trying to catch up to it. The train was full but the people on it helped Anatoly onto it. He looked back after he got on the train and saw that Vladimir hadn’t boarded the train yet.

“Vladimir!” he reached his hand out to him. “Take my hand!” Vladimir reached out as well and took hold of his brothers hand. “малютка, hold onto it!” Anatoly tightened his grip but it was no use, his little brother’s hand slipped from his grip. “VLADIMIR!” he looked into Vladimir’s eyes, full of fear and shock, and he desperately tried to catch his hand again. But he was too far gone.

Vladimir fell down and hit his head. He could feel the warmth of his blood leaking down his face and the last thing he heard was his brother’s voice, yelling his name and moving further and further away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> младший брат : little brother  
> На ветру, пересечь море : on the wind, cross the sea  
> Слушайте эту песню, и помнить : hear this song and remember  
> Скоро вы будете дома со мной : soon you'll be home with me  
> Однажды в декабре : once upon a December  
> вместе в Париже : together in Paris  
> брат : brother  
> малютка : little one, babbie  
> малютка : little one, babbie (used again)
> 
> Please comment and share with me your opinions! :-)


	2. Go right!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Go left!" the old woman said. God had a different idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I was shitting with you guys with that summary. It doesn't really explain anything about this chapter haha. Well, it's close to 4 am here and I'm the type of person who can't let a thing down once I've started to fiddle with it. So here I am, updating this fic on the same day I posted it.

Ten years later, in St. Petersburg. A rumor was going around that Prince Vladimir had survived that hellish night. His brother, Anatoly, now a Grand Duke and Emperor after everyone else in their family died, had offered to pay 10 million rubles for Vladimir's safe return. And thus begins the story of two con men, looking to make money.

 

Foggy made his way through the city, eyeing the newspapers with the rumor displayed on front. He quickened his pace and walked up to a door. The door opened with a secret whisper. He walked inside and spotted his close friend and partner-in-crime, Matt, leaning by the wall. He called out to him when he got close enough and offered his arm for the blind man. Matt gave a hum of acknowledgement and followed along.

 

“Matt, I managed to rent the theatre.” Foggy said, leading Matt.

 

Matt nodded, “Now all we need is the guy and we’ll reach our goal.”

 

“10 million rubles Matt! Can you imagine it?” Foggy smiled widely. He was really hoping for their plan to work. To find a blonde man around the Prince’s current age to pose as the real Prince for them and attempt to fool the Emperor and get the prize money. But they had to find the perfect actor for this plan to work.

 

“We could finally live in luxury. We’ll teach him what to say to the Grand Duke and get a nice place to live. No more poverty.” Matt said with a light tone. He wasn’t as optimistic about the plan as Foggy quite yet but he was sure he’d get there.

 

Matt had worked at the Ranskahov's summer home, Екатерининский дворец or the Catherine Palace, when he was younger along with Foggy. The boys had worked in the kitchen and on the grounds. Military men often trained there and had taught the boys some moves. Foggy didn't like it, he preferred his words more than his fists, as did Matt. But Matt had much more interest in the martial arts out of the two and studied it more extensively once he got older.

 

They stopped by their room on the way to the theatre and got their luggage. Matt pulled out a golden box out of a shelf and pocketed it. There wasn’t a chance in hell he was going to forget that. It had almost become a sort of a good luck charm, after having it by his side all these years. He stroked his thumb over it lightly, feeling the detailed texture and thought briefly about that night. About how he woke up disoriented, subconsciously grabbing onto the music box the Prince left behind and no longer being able to see it.

 

“We’ll be rich Matt!” Foggy exclaimed, interrupting his friend's thoughts. He grabbed onto Matt’s arm and dragged him to the theatre.

 

“Whoa! Slow down Foggy. Don’t worry, we will definitely get rich!” they laughed happily on their way. The people were murmuring about the rumor excitedly and the two boys went on their merry way.

 

 

* * *

 

 

At an orphanage not too far from St. Petersburg, children were waving and yelling their goodbyes through the window. The front door slammed shut and two people could be seen leaving the premises.

 

“I got you a job in the fish factory,” an old woman’s voice could be heard, rough from years of smoking, “you go straight down this path till you get to the fork in the road. Go left!”

 

“Bye!” a young man waved back to the children, completely ignoring the old woman.

 

The woman turned sharply towards him, “Are you listening?” the man turned his gaze to the old woman, “I’m listening.”

 

The woman grabbed the man’s worn out scarf and pulled him down the road. “You’ve been a thorn in my side since you were brought here,” the woman complained, “thinking you’re the king of this place, making trouble and picking fights with everyone!” she pulled the scarf off of him but went on with her rant.

 

She sighed, “For the last ten years, I’ve fed you, groomed you,” the man rolled his eyes as she continued, “kept a roof over your head..” they said in unison as the man mimicked her last line. The woman huffed, “How is it that you don’t have a clue to who you were before but you remember that?”

 

The man held his necklace, “But I do have a clue to who I was!” The woman mock aww-ed.

 

“Of course, ‘together in Paris’, so you wanna go to France and be with your family? Well, Mr.Vanya, it’s time to take your place in life. In life and in line!” she pushed Vanya out the gate, “Go to the job I got you. Do you know how hard to was for me to find it for you, what with you looking like a criminal with that scar on your face and acting like one too! Be grateful!” and with that she threw the scarf in his face and locked the gate.

 

Vanya walked until he got to the fork in the road, “Be grateful” he muttered, cursing under his breath. He was happy to finally be free of that nagging old woman. Always pointing out his scar, like he didn’t already know about it. Admittedly, he took part in a fair share of brawls, resulting in more scars but none as prominent as the one on his face. But all the people he got in fights with looked at his face funnily and had to comment on it. They mocked him, asking him which prison he got it from. He hadn’t even been to prison! Although there were a few close calls. He didn't know where he got it from, the scar had been there since he remembered himself.

 

He looked at the sign on the road, debating whether he should go left as the old woman said or not. If he went left, then he’d always be known as Vanya the orphan but if he went right.. He wasn’t sure what could happen but he clutched the necklace. He remembered waking up and holding onto it but he had no idea who gave it to him. He huffed, thinking it was crazy to want to go to Paris. But somewhere in his heart, he longed to know the truth. Was he loved? Did he have someone who cared for him?

 

He sat down on the snow. “God, show me a sign or something. что мне делать.” he sighed and laid his head on his arms.

 

A gray puppy popped its head out of the thick snow behind him. The puppy shuffled over to Vanya and tilted its head at him. It seemed to be a Laika but it was no taller than Vanya’s knee. He would deny it to his grave but his heart melted at the sight. He held the puppy up.

 

“Where did you come from, малютка?” for some reason the word ‘little one’ always seemed to bring him comfort. The dog barked at him and stuck his tongue out. “Are you all alone as well?”, the dog barked again, as if it was saying yes. Vanya noticed the puppy was a male and much cuter than he first thought, “I know, how about I give you a name?” he was becoming attached fast.

 

The dog jumped out of Vanya’s hands and circled him. “Hmm, how about Sergei?” the dog jumped, seeming happy with his choice. He laughed, “Well, it is nice to meet you Sergei.”

 

Sergei suddenly jumped at the scarf in Vanya’s hand, biting it and attempting to drag him along the road. He was surprised at his actions but remembered what he said to himself earlier. Was this the sign..?

 

He shrugged, he might as well, and followed Sergei to the right. To St. Petersburg.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Екатерининский дворец : Catherine Palace  
> что мне делать : what do I do  
> малютка : little one, babbie
> 
> I dunno, I feel like 'little one' is such a cute.. expression? I'll most likely use it more in later chapters, so take note!  
> Vanya is a form of the name Ivan and currently Vladimir's temporary name. I was thinking of making his name Vlad while he was in his amnesiac state but I wanted to make it different. It's also like a nod to the original film, where Anastasia was called Anya. I couldn't help myself. Also, you read right! Sergei was one of Vladimir's subordinates from the show. He's the one Vladimir yelled at in episode 5, who whisper-replied and looked like a kicked puppy.
> 
> Don't forget to comment :-)


	3. A memory from a dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What the hell..” he muttered under his breath. This place was like a memory from a dream. He wasn’t sure if he could trust it, if the memory was true or not but it was too detailed to dismiss. With a look around the rest of the room, Vanya began to recall a melody from his past. He lightly hummed along with it and began to sing lightly, almost as if he was whispering.

 

Vanya walked up to a booth, “One ticket to Paris.”

 

“Exit visa.” the man’s voice drawled on the other side of the ticket booth.

 

“Exit visa?”

 

“No exit visa, noo ticket!” the man said gruffly and slammed the booth closed.

 

Vanya was pissed. If he saw that man again, he’d fight him. Sergei licked his fingers to get his attention to the old woman tapping his back. What was with old women continuously nagging him?

 

“Psst, seek a man named Matt. He can help.”

 

What the old woman said intrigued him. “And where can I find him?”

 

“At the old palace. But you didn’t hear it from me.” the woman sneakily winked at him. She walked off and Vanya wondered if he should take her advice or not.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Foggy and Matt were sitting in a theatre, checking name after name off the list of potential fake prince actors. No one had even come close so far. Now it was down to the last person. A man wearing a thick coat came up on stage.

 

He inhaled raspily, “Brother, it’s me, Vladimir!” the man said as he threw his coat off of his body dramatically and shook his hips. He was holding a cigarette.

 

A shocked silence fell over them.

 

Foggy groaned and looked ready to slap somebody while Matt raised an eyebrow, feeling incredibly done. Foggy let out a drawn out sigh and they left the theatre after thanking cigarette man for coming.

 

“Game over Matt. After so many ads we put out, we still couldn’t find the right man!”

 

Matt put his hand on Foggy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry Foggy, we’ll find him. He’s right under our noses.” At that moment, crashes could be heard around the corner. Matt heard painful grunts and the unmistakable sound of punching but he ignored it and steered Foggy out of harm’s way. Vanya could be seen gripping another man’s collar and lifting him up so that the man's toes barely touched the ground, asking him where the hell the old palace was. “All we have to do is show the Grand Duke this box to make him believe it’s the true Prince.” Matt said as he looked in the general direction of the fight, unknowingly making eye contact with Vanya for a split second before walking off with Foggy.

 

 

* * *

 

Vanya finally found the old palace after getting into a fight with a drunk man and asking him politely for directions. Sergei looked at him judgingly.

 

“What.”

 

He decided it was a good idea to ignore the dog and went on to inspect the palace walls. It was a big place, with grand and once beautiful walls. But he couldn’t find a way in, all the exits were nailed shut with wood planks. He tried to loosen them up by pulling on them but with no luck. He also tried to find some other place to enter but couldn’t find any. He finally saw a plank that had started rotting from the moisture. He kicked it as hard as he could and the plank broke down in pieces with a loud crash.

 

* * *

 

 

"Foggy, did you hear that?" Matt tried to listen for the sound again.

 

"Hear what?" Foggy questioned while chewing on his food.

 

"I heard a loud bang. Someone might be here." he stood up and walked to the door, the room covered in junk from head to toe not hindering him at all.

 

"Matt, you do realize how scary it is when you do that right?" Foggy said as he took a sip from his drink before following his friend.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sergei barked loudly and wagged his tail, seeming happy that his owner was destroying property.

 

“Good dog.” Vanya whistled and crouched down to walk inside. He went up a few staircases, viewing the things inside. There were a ton of vases and cutlery, beautiful things covered in layers of dust. Vanya picked up a dusty plate, blew it off, and held it up to his face. A young man’s face stared back, handsome if it weren't for a long scar running across his right eye, a little bit above his eyebrow and down the middle of his cheek. He looked at his reflection until it turned into people dancing. Quickly blinking to get rid of the image, Vanya wondered what that was about.

 

“What the hell..” he muttered under his breath. This place was like a memory from a dream. He wasn’t sure if he could trust it, if the memory was true or not but it was too detailed to dismiss. With a look around the rest of the room, Vanya began to recall a melody from his past. He lightly hummed along with it and began to sing lightly, almost as if he was whispering.

 

_“Как узор на огне,_

_Снова прошлое рядом,_

_Кто-то пел песню мне,_

_Зимний вечер когда-то,”_

Vanya walked over to another staircase, feeling lighter than he had for years. Right in front of him was a magnificent ballroom and another staircase across from it. He continued to sing.

 

_“Словно в прошлом ожило,_

_Чи’их- то бережиных рук тепло,_

_Вальсы изисконных гостей,_

_И вег лексис коней,”_

 

Vanya took off his oversized coat and fingerless gloves. He danced across the ballroom, seeing figures dancing along with him. The memory was so strong, he felt like he was experiencing it right at this moment. His clothes no longer looked dirty and worn out, they were bright and colorful and there were patterns on them, sewed on carefully. He felt a slight weight on top of his head. He got into position and danced as if he had a partner with him on the ballroom floor.

 

_Вал’с кружил И нес меня,_

_Словно в сказку свою маня,_

_Первый бал И первый вальс,_

_Свичат во мне сейчас,”_

 

He remembered dancing with someone, a precious person.

 

_“Зеркала в янтаре,_

_Мой восторг отражают,_

_Кто-то пел на заре,_

_Дом родной покидая,_

_Будешь ты в декабре,_

_Вновь со мной, дорогая”_

 

Vanya finished his song, feeling more fulfilled than he had in a long time, but also emptier, after the flashback ended.

 

“Hey!”

 

Vanya let out a surprised gasp, someone was here? He looked up and saw two men standing at the top of the staircase. His first instinct was to run, the other men chasing after him. He managed all the way to the other staircase across the ballroom before he realized there was no need for him to run. It wasn’t like he was breaking and entering. Or maybe he was. No matter, the other two men were also here. So he turned around and stared at them coming up the stairs. The brown haired man was already up and he stopped a few meters from Vanya, panting a little bit. The man looked at him and stilled, like he was trying to figure something out.

 

“What?” Vanya asked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The translated lyrics from the song:
> 
> Like a pattern on a window..  
> The past is near again.  
> Someone sang a song to me.  
> One winter night sometime.  
> As if coming alive in the past.  
> The warmth of someone's gentle arms.  
> The waltz of exquisite guests.  
> And brave horses running.  
> The waltz spun and carried me.  
> As if beckoning in its tale.  
> The first ball and the first waltz.  
> Resound in me right now.  
> Mirrors in amber.  
> Reflect my delight.  
> Someone sang at dawnbreak.  
> Leaving her cherished home.  
> You will be, in December.  
> Again with me, darling.
> 
> You can listen to it here in Russian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9JPqJDRNQg  
> And here in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1zamKoUREI 
> 
> Here's my third update on this story today. It's really hard for me not to finish something once I've started but here we must part ways. It's almost 6 am and I am tired and hungry as hell. Promise to establish more of Vladimir's strongman status in the next chapters, as well as have him swear more, that Russian fluffball. 
> 
> Comment please :-)
> 
> It seems the end notes from chapter 1 appear after these notes? Does anyone know how to fix this?
> 
> EDIT: It appears the notes from the first chapter just seem to appear after the end notes on the most recent chapters. I still have no idea how to fix this.


	4. He rises again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Uhhh.. Matt?” he nudged his shoulder.
> 
> Matt snapped out of it and whispered to him, “Foggy, I have a feeling we just found our guy.”

Foggy hurried up the stairs to a stop beside his best friend, panting harshly. He was so not cut out for chases. He noticed Matt’s stillness after he caught his breath and looked in the same direction as him. The blonde man was standing there, staring at them confusedly. A huge painting of the Ranskahov family hung on the wall behind him.

 

“Uhhh.. Matt?” he nudged his shoulder.

 

Matt snapped out of it and whispered to him, “Foggy, I have a feeling we just found our guy.”

 

“What? Matt, how would you know, you’re blind.” On second thought, Matt always knew these like that, it was because of his intuition that they even managed to get this far. He looked up to the blonde man again, this time taking notice of the similarities between the man and the young prince on the painting. They both had the same face face, the same color of the hair and eyes but there was a big difference. The man standing there had a big scar on his face and a harsh look in his eyes, while the lost prince had a flawless face and a soft look in his eyes. Foggy turned around and swung an arm around Matt’s shoulders, “Okay, he does look like the prince except for one detail, he has a scar over his eye Matt!” he hushed.

 

“Trust me Foggy.” Matt said.

 

The man interrupted their whispering. “Are you Matt?”

 

“Depends on who’s asking.” Matt smirked while Foggy got distracted by the puppy.

 

“My name is Vanya and I need travel papers. I was told to come look for you by..” he trailed off, remembering that the old woman didn’t want to be known. “A bird told me.” Vanya finished.

 

Matt walked closer to him. “I’m sorry, but can I look at you?” he asked, circling Vanya.

 

Vanya was confused until he finally noticed that the man he was talking to was actually blind. How he managed to chase him all the way up the stairs without a cane was a mystery but he had a theory though. He decided to test it out and nodded, seeing if the man would know or not.

 

Matt took that as consent and walked closer to him, raising his hands up towards his face. He knew exactly at what height to stop, slightly taller than himself and prodded the man’s face. He started at his forehead and trailed down his cheeks, his thumbs on the man’s nose. His left hand stroked over the bump of Vanya’s scar, exactly where Foggy had said it was. He moved his thumbs over his lips and down his chin. He could feel the flustered warmth of the man’s face and he heard his heartbeat increase, his own heart speeding up as well. The man felt familiar, like he could fit into the Prince’s role perfectly.

 

Vanya felt Matt leave his hands on his neck, the other man impossibly close. He opened his mouth, wetting his lips, and asked. “How can you see?”

 

Matt was surprised at how Vanya could sense how he wasn’t exactly normal. “I don’t know. I just know where things are, I can hear well. There are other ways to see than just sight, you know.” he explained. Vanya looked a little put off but seemed to accept what the man told him.

 

A loud cough sprung them apart and made them look in the direction of the noise. Foggy was holding the puppy and looking at them like he was interrupting something. “Uhh.. guys? Something about travel papers?” he asked uncomfortably.

 

“Oh yes!” Matt looked back to Vanya. “Where are you planning on going?”

 

Vanya looked relieved to get back to the point. “I want to go to Paris.”

 

Foggy and Matt both looked excited, “You’d like to go to Paris?” they asked. The puppy whined at Foggy, distracting him once again. “And what’s your last name, Vanya?” Matt asked.

 

“I.. I don’t have one? I don’t remember. I was found wandering around when I was eight but I have no memories before that. But the necklace I had on me says, ‘Together in Paris’”

 

“That’s..” Matt looked to be in deep thought, “perfect,” he muttered under his breath. “Well, we were actually heading to Paris ourselves,” Matt continued louder. He took out three tickets from his pocket, discreetly throwing the extra one behind him.

 

“Unfortunately, we only have three tickets. Two for us and one for,” he waved in the direction behind Vanya, knowing a big painting of the Ranskahov’s was behind him. “Prince Vladimir.”

 

Vanya turned, seeing a detailed painting of a family wearing royal clothes. Foggy and Matt pulled Vanya to the side, continuing the conversation.

 

“You see, we’re going to reunite the Prince with his older brother.” Foggy said. “You kinda resemble the Prince actually.” he added.

 

They counted his features, the blue eyes, his cheeks, his chin and his physical type.

 

“Are you forgetting the scar on my face? I’ve had it since I remember myself but the Prince on that painting didn’t have it.” Vanya said with a scowl on his face.

 

“We can explain that as an accident that happened in the last ten years!” Foggy was really getting on board with this plan.

 

“You’re both mad.” Vanya only managed to take a few steps until Matt stopped him.

 

“Why? You don’t know what happened to you and no one knows what happened to the Prince.” he said.

“Your family is in Paris and the Prince’s only family is also in Paris!” Foggy added. “You never thought of the possibility?”

 

“I don’t know, it’s hard to think of yourself as a Duke when you’re sleeping on a damp floor but sure, why not? Everyone wants to be royalty.”

 

“And who’s to say you aren’t? Royalties rule and the name Vladimir means ‘rule’!” Foggy never missed a chance to show off his extensive knowledge.

 

Matt rolled his eyes and began to walk away. “That’s fine and all but the train is leaving for Paris soon and we need to hurry up.” Foggy hastily followed him. “Wish we could help, but the third ticket is for the Grand Duke Vladimir!” they both walked away.

 

Foggy whispered to Matt, “Why didn’t you tell her about our plan?”

 

“All he wants to do is go to Paris, do you really wanna share a third of the prize money?”

 

“Well no.. But I’m telling you, we’re walking away too soon!”

 

“Don’t worry Foggy, I got it all under control. Just walk a little slower.”

 

Vanya looked up at the painting, seeing the face of the lost Prince. He had all the same features as him, the only thing different between them was the scar and the age. He looked at the other paintings. There was one of a young man, with a kind look in his blue eyes, standing regally. It was Emperor Anatoly.

 

Something changed inside of Vanya. If he didn’t take up their offer, he’d be stuck in St. Petersburg for the rest of his life but if he did.. Maybe, just maybe he might find his family. He squared his shoulders and made up his mind.

 

“Matt!” he yelled, jogging after them.

 

Foggy turned around to see the man running up to them, surprised. Matt simply smirked and said, “You called?” turning around as well.

 

“If I don’t remember who I am, then who’s to say I’m not a Duke or Prince or whatever, right?” he said. Matt gestured for him to go on. “And if I am not, then the Emperor will simply know right away and it will be an honest mistake, correct?”

 

Foggy walked up to him and grabbed Vanya’s shoulder, warming up to the guy. “And IF, and this is a big if, you are the Prince then you’ve found your family!”

 

Matt smiled, “He’s right you know. Either way, if you come with us then you’ll get to Paris.” he offered up his hand.

 

“да.” Vanya said as he took the offered hand and shook it. “Let’s go, Sergei.” he tilted his head and the dog barked happily, following.

 

“Ooooh the dog’s name is Sergei?” Foggy asked.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Higher up on the windowsill a small black bat ruffled its wings. He had seen the three of them and couldn’t believe its ears. Vladimir! Ha! The Prince was long dead. Behind the bat, a thin black reliquary that looked like a lantern glowed green and smoke oozed from the open mouth of the skull on top of it. A carving of a black snake coiled around the glass. The smoke took the form of gargoyles and circled around the bat.

 

The bat squeaked, “What? This thing activated just from some guys saying he was Vladimir?” not believing it. The smoke seemed to get more aggressive and flew around the bat.

 

“Okay, okay, I get it!” the bat shook. “Just stop with the smoke!” the bat crouched down, deep in thought. If that reliquary thing came to life, that meant that the guy was indeed the lost Prince! Alive! He looked down to the three of the humans in wonder.

 

The reliquary started rising up into the air, the string attached to the bottom of it hooking around the bats foot and bringing it along. The bat made a high pitched scream as it shot them through the air and straight down. It went right through the ground and continued in a downwards sweep. Not stopping until it seemed to land in a different dimension, the bat screaming all the way down. He crashed into a stone and grunted painfully. He looked around, he seemed to be on in a dark place, almost like a cave, filled with bones and stones.

 

“Who dares intrude?” a man’s booming voice called out. He came over angrily and squeezed the bat before recognizing it. “Wesley?” he said. “Is that you?”

 

The bat looked up to the man, “Master..? You’re alive?” he asked.

 

The bald man sneered, “In a manner of speaking.” he said as his eyeball fell out of its socket. The bat hastily grabbed the eyeball.

 

“Uhh.. sir?”

 

The man noticed the eyeball and took it from the bat, plopping it back into place. “Something has happened. I can feel the dark energy stirring.”

 

“I’m not surprised sir, I saw him. Prince Vladimir.”

 

“Vladimir? Alive?” he almost couldn’t believe the news. The curse should have killed the Ranskahov’s, save for Anatoly. Anatoly was not present when the family wronged him, when they banished him from the palace before he sold his soul to the dark powers. He had nothing against Anatoly as he was sure that if he had been there he would’ve tried to stop his father from branding him as a traitor. Unlike the rest of the damned family, he actually had a good opinion on him.

 

“That Ranskahov brat!” he growled. His nose fell off from the harsh movement.

 

“I guess curses just aren’t what they used to be, sir.” Wesley said as he hastily put his master’s nose back and slid down his robes.

 

“That’s why I’m stuck in this limbo! My curse wasn’t fulfilled!” he threw his hand back as he raised his voice at the last part. His hand flew off from his wrist, taking Wesley with it and slamming against another stone. “Look at me Wesley! I’m falling apart.” the man sat down on a stone, lamenting his state.

 

Wesley took his severed hand and lifted it over to his master. “Actually sir, you look very good for a man who’s been dead for years.” the man looked at Wesley, hopeful. “Believe me sir, you had your old.. ‘spark’ for a moment there as well.”

 

The man sat up, “If only I had the gift the dark powers gave me, the key.” he said in despair.

 

“Sir, you mean this reliquary?” Wesley lifted it up with his tiny body. The thing was three times as big as him.

 

The man looked excited, “Where did you get this?”

 

“Oh, I found it.”

 

“As expected of you Wesley. Always so prepared and considerate.” he said as he took the key from him. He attached his hand back onto his wrist and lifted the key to his cheek.”At last, my dark purpose will be fulfilled. I, Fisk, will finally be able to complete my curse!” he raised the key above his head, green lighting shooting from it. He laughed as the smoke from the key connected to make a mirror of sorts. Images appeared on it, showing Vanya boarding a train with Matt holding onto his arm.

 

Fisk summoned his minions from the key, millions of green gargoyles flew from it. “Find him! I will get my revenge! До свидания, ‘Vanya’!” he laughed maniacally, the gargoyles flying upwards with a single purpose in mind.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> да : yes  
> До свидания : goodbye
> 
> Honestly, I dislike Fisk but didn't have much of an opinion on Wesley in the series but their interactions man, just golden.


	5. Train to Paris

In a cabin on a train from St. Petersburg sat three people. A chubby man named Foggy who was double checking the three's fake passports. A brown haired blind man named Matt who was putting their luggage in place while a blonde man, Vanya, sat by the window seat, absentmindedly looking outside. Matt approached the seat in front of Vanya and beside Foggy before noticing that a dog, Sergei, was already occupying it. He raised his eyebrow at the dog but let it slide and sat next to Vanya instead.

 

Vanya took out his necklace and stroked the carvings on it, thinking that he was finally on his way to Paris. The words carved on the necklace soothed him.

 

“Stop fiddling with your necklace and sit up straight. You’re supposed to be a Grand Duke.”

 

Vanya looked to Matt. How did he even notice that? He huffed and slid down his seat in defiance. “And how do you know how Grand Dukes behave?”

 

“I make it my business to know.”

 

“Matt.. do you really think I’m royalty?” Vanya asked doubtfully.

 

“Of course.” Matt hurried to reassure him.

 

“Then stop ordering me around, you мудак.” Vanya hated it when people ordered him around.

 

Matt looked offended while Foggy smirked smugly. “Walked right into that one, Matt.” He said as he secretly crossed an x under Vanya’s name on a piece of paper he kept in his coat. Matt and Vanya had been insulting each other nonstop since they met, they couldn’t stop bothering each other. Foggy had turned it into a game to make himself feel less like a third wheel. It was quite entertaining to watch them after all. Right now, the score was pretty even but with that, Vanya was in the lead. Oh how Foggy longed for Paris, he hoped they’d get there as soon as possible. He thought about Karen and her engaging conversations. He missed her.

 

Foggy walked out with Segei to get some fresh air, leaving Matt and Vanya in the cabin alone.

 

Matt sighed, “I think we got on the wrong foot here. Truce?”

 

“Suck my dick.”

 

Matt grimaced. The man in front of him talked nothing like royalty. “Stop being an asshole Vanya.”

 

“Then how about you stop opening your mouth.” he was still salty about the whole ordering him around business.

 

Matt got annoyed, their fights were so petty! Talking with this man infuriated him, it made him childish. “Fine! I’ll stop talking you when you stop talking.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Fine!”

 

“FINE.”

 

They stopped talking. Until Vanya spoke again after a few seconds.

 

“You gonna miss it?” he asked.

 

“What, you talking?”

 

Vanya scoffed, “нет, I meant Russia.”

 

“Oh. No, I’m not.”

 

“Was this not your home?”

 

Matt thought about Russia, the memories from the palace and the night he was blinded filling his mind. “And you? You’re not gonna miss it?”

 

Vanya thought back to the shithole he was raised in. An orphanage where he slept on the damp floor freezing, letting the younger kids take the few mattresses they had. Going out at night and getting into fights with thugs and drunk men. Stealing booze with his so called friends, running away from the authorities and getting into all kinds of trouble. “No.” he answered, “I’m not gonna miss it.” before walking out of the cabin, right as Foggy walked back in.

 

“Did you guys get into a fight again?”

 

“No.. just having a conversation.” Matt walked out of the cabin as well, walking in the opposite direction as Vanya.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Thousands of glowing gargoyles flew towards the train, entering the boiler room through the chimney. Their long claws sliced the worker’s throat and threw his body off the train. They turned the lever to its fullest and threw as many coals into the fire as they could fit.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Foggy walked through the hallway, overhearing some people talking about how the traveling papers had turned red this month. He quickly scanned his own, the traveling papers the three of them had were blue! He hurried back into the cabin and looked to Matt.

 

“This is what I hate about this country. Everything is red, including the traveling papers!”

 

Matt took their luggage. “We need to get off this train right now.”

 

Foggy took a few bags with him as well and went to the front of the train. Vanya was taking a nap on the bench, while Sergei was barking at the window. He had seen something glow. Matt tried to shake him awake which prompted Vanya to punch him in the face. Matt grunted and held his nose

 

“What the hell, Vanya.”

 

“Accident.” he said with an apologetic tone. Somehow Matt didn’t believe him.

 

Matt got their luggage and handed Vanya a few bags, who was frantically getting his coat on. “I’m gonna get you for that later.” Matt murmured under his breath.

 

The three of them entered the baggage car. Foggy shivered from the cold.

 

“The baggage car? What are we doing here? Don’t tell me there’s something wrong with our papers,” Vanya glared.

 

“Of course not, Your Grace.” Matt said mockingly, “I just hate to see you be forced to mingle with all those commoners.”

 

“If it turns out I really am the Prince, you’ll be the first one to go.”

 

Sergei ran towards the boiling room, barking loudly at the creatures he saw. The gargoyles flew up into the air and swooped down at the back of the baggage car, severing the chains holding the train together and ripping the wall off. Matt and Vanya who were close to the end of the car, fell down and landed on top of each other. Vanya let out a pained sound and Matt scrambled to get off of him.

 

“Uhh.. Matt?” Foggy waved behind him, looking at the boiling room.

 

“What?” he asked, trying to get his balance again while Vanya rolled off the ground.

 

“The chimney is on fire!”

 

Matt walked to him and opened the door, the hot air hitting him in the face. Matt took off his coat and handed it to Vanya. He felt around for the handles and used them to jump on the roof. “Wait here, I’ll check it out.”

 

“What? Matt! You’re blind!” Foggy yelled worriedly after him.

 

“Don’t worry, I got this!” Matt answered as he navigated perfectly on the roof, making his way to the boiler room.

 

Vanya looked to Foggy. “Does he always do these dangerous stunts?”

 

“Way too much!” he said as he fiddled with his hands, worrying about his friend. Vanya looked to the boiler room, impressed with Matt’s actions but never planning on admitting to what he thought.

 

Matt jumped down to the boiler room, feeling an immense heat inside. The pipes in the room were making a high pitched noise that grated on his ears. There was no one there and he had no way of stopping the fire. He ran back to his companions.

 

“There’s no one driving this train. We’re gonna have to jump!” Matt said as he entered the baggage car again. He opened to side door on the car as Vanya and Foggy gathered their things.

 

“You want us to jump? There’s no safe place to land!” Vanya said as he looked out the car.

 

“Then we’ll uncuff the car!”

 

The gargoyles who heard their plan immediately went and burned the chains tying the cars together tight so it was impossible to uncuff.

 

Foggy handed Matt a hammer he had found and Matt tried to break the chains. Sergei was barking loudly by a crate, getting Vanya’s attention. He looked to the crate and saw the word ‘динамит’ on it.

 

The hammer Matt was using broke instead of the chains and he grunted in frustration. “Come on!” he said as he threw the now useless stick away, “There’s gotta be something better to use.” he held his hand up, hoping his companions had something better.

 

Vanya casually handed him a lit dynamite, knowing that Matt would figure out the plan right away. “Try not to burn yourself.”

 

Matt, hearing Vanya’s words and smelling the unmistakable scent of gunpowder, smirked. “That’ll work.” he said as he stuck the bomb into one of the chain holes and the three of them duck behind the baggages. The bomb went off, successfully breaking the chains.

 

There was a bridge a few hundred meters in front of the train and they were heading towards it quickly. Matt shook his head, trying to get rid of the ringing in his head while Foggy was frantically pulling the brake on the car. The brake wouldn’t work no matter how much he pulled on them until finally, he pulled the handle off the break.

 

“Well, the brake didn’t work!”

 

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty of tracks. We’ll just wait for it to stop.”

 

That’s when Matt heard another loud crash in the distance. Unknown to them, the gargoyles had combined and expanded in size to crush the bridge into pieces. All they see when they looked out was the aftermath, a crumbled bridge they were heading straight towards.

 

Matt noticed some chains with hooks on both ends lying on the ground. “Vanya, hand me the chains!” he said as he climbed out the end of the train. He held on while Vanya gave him the hook and he fastened it to a pipe under the train. Some debris flew to Matt’s face and he desperately clutched onto Vanya’s arm. Vanya, sensing the danger, pulled Matt up. The movement was so quick that they almost smashed into each others faces. “Thank you,” Matt whispered, both of them breathing hard from the exertion. The immediate danger they were in distracted and they parted ways to push the rest of the chains out the car. The other hook caught on the trails, pulling the train sideways and slowing it down.

 

The three of them took their things and linked their arms together. They jumped from the car, the snow softening their landing, while the train and the car slid off the bridge and down a cliff, exploding on impact.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Fisk was observing the three of them through the magic key, and when the three got off the train safe and sound, his mood worsened. He let out a frustrated sound. He was panting heavily from the anger and didn’t calm down until he smashed a skull against the table he was sitting on.

 

Wesley looked concerned for his master, thinking it was the key’s fault he had turned into such a vengeful spirit. He looked at the reliquary, wishing for it to disappear so that his true master could return. But he could truly wish for it to be gone, for the thing that held his master’s soul and kept him alive was the very thing he was trying to get rid of it. If the reliquary was destroyed then his master would really die. Shame filled his whole being at wishing for such a thing.

 

“Oh master, if only I could go get rid of Vladimir for you.” Wesley sighed. He’d do anything for the man.

 

“No Wesley, you stay. I just don’t know what to do next.” Fisk said regretfully, but the glow of the key revealed his true sinister nature.

 

Wesley perked up. He could help his master! He opened his mouth, “Well, sir, how about..”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> мудак : asshole  
> нет : no  
> динамит : dynamite
> 
> The bug that makes the notes of the first chapter appear after these notes is really bothering me..


	6. The Ranskahov Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Here, I bought you some new clothes.” Matt said as he handed them to Vanya. “You told me yours were ripped? I was told these looked good. Foggy confirmed it.”
> 
> Vanya couldn’t quite hide his happiness at receiving a gift from Matt. “What, this rag?” he said jokingly. His heartbeat got quicker, telling Matt that he liked it.
> 
> Matt hid his blush by turning around and heading up on deck, “Just wear it.”

The three of them had to go to the nearest bus stop and walk great lengths after the train disaster. They were headed towards Germany to take a boat to Paris.

 

Foggy was in great spirits when they stopped for a break after a long walk. Matt and Vanya sat by the road while Foggy was humming to himself. He was thinking of Karen, his friend and the woman who he was in love with, and getting to dance with her. He couldn’t contain his excitement to see her again.

 

“Karen, how I long to see you again!” he said dramatically while adding a twirl to his imaginary dance.

 

“Who’s Karen?” Vanya asked Matt, as Foggy was too busy twirling around. Matt repeated his question, thinking about how he should answer Vanya before Foggy turned to them.

 

“Karen is a heavenly woman!” he said excitedly. Matt tried to stop him before he said too much but Foggy was too far gone in talking about Karen. “She’s like a hot cup of chocolate after a walk in the snow! Like a sugary treat!”

 

“Is he talking about a person or a sweet.” Vanya muttered. He secretly found it cute that Foggy adored this woman so much.

 

“She’s the Emperor’s beautiful cousin!” Foggy gushed.

 

“Wait, we’re going to see the Emperor’s cousin? Not the Emperor himself?” Vanya turned to Matt. “Matt, explain.”

 

“Well, nobody gets near the Emperor without getting Karen’s approval first.” Matt said, looking at Vanya hopefully.

 

Realization dawned on him. “Oh. Noo, no. I am not going to pretend to be the Prince and lie, show up maybe, but after that I was going to begin searching for my actual family.” Not to mention that this could very well get Vanya into prison.

 

“Who says it’s a lie? It could be true, you said it yourself, you don’t know who you were before you were eight.”

 

“Even if it were true, how could I possibly convince them I was the Grand Duke? My clothes are old and ripped and my face doesn’t exactly look royal!” he said as he stormed off to the bridge, where Foggy was currently standing.

 

Foggy moved closer to the fuming Vanya, joining him in viewing the river. He knew he had to fix this. They looked down at their reflections.

 

“Tell me Vanya, what do you see in your reflection?” Foggy said as gently as he could.

 

Vanya looked at him like was crazy. Foggy rolled his eyes. “Just humor me and tell me what you see.”

 

Vanya looked at his reflection, “I see.. I see a scarred man with no past and no future.”

 

Foggy felt sad that Vanya did not see what he saw in him. “Well, you know what I see? I see a strong man who has shown he is capable of giving regal commands equal to any royal in the world. And believe me, I’ve seen royalty up close.” Foggy looked around him and stage whispered, “Matt and I actually worked in a palace. We liked to sneak out to watch the court in session. We know the law pretty well.” ‘Easier to get past the law if you know it.’ He thought to himself.

 

Vanya smiled. He didn’t want to admit it but the two of them made good friends. He supposed he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter now that they were so close to Paris anyway. And Vanya hated to do things half-assedly.

 

“Alright, teach me how to become royalty.”

 

Foggy and Matt grinned. They taught Vanya everything they knew about Vladimir. They told him how he was born in a palace by the sea, how he liked horseback riding and pranking everyone but would always listen to his father and his older brother.

 

They balanced a stick on Vanya’s head to teach him how to walk regally as they continued on their journey. Whenever Vanya stood wrong or sat wrong, Matt would lightly push his back into the right position again. He always seemed to know when Vanya wasn’t doing anything correctly. His feathery touches had become comforting to him.

 

Vanya’s world expanded as they continued to teach him. Hobbies, taste in food, Vanya’s extended family. The strange thing about it was that Vanya somehow knew little details about the Ranskahov family, things they hadn’t told him yet. Foggy and Matt just assumed they were guesses and moved on. Vanya’s actions become more and more regal the closer they got to the boat. He started walking with his back straight and didn’t get as easily angry. They had taken him horseback riding and taught him how to ride a bicycle as well. Vanya absorbed this new knowledge like a sponge until they arrived at the boat at last.

 

“Here, I bought you some new clothes.” Matt said as he handed them to Vanya. “You told me yours were ripped? I was told these looked good. Foggy confirmed it.”

 

Vanya couldn’t quite hide his happiness at receiving a gift from Matt. “What, this rag?” he said jokingly. His heartbeat got quicker, telling Matt that he liked it.

 

Matt hid his blush by turning around and heading up on deck, “Just wear it.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Matt and Foggy were playing chess up on deck.

 

“Bishop, E3.”

 

“Queen, D8”

 

Foggy noticed Vanya walking up on deck. “Your new clothes fit you much better!” he said as he stood up. “You’re ready to learn how to dance.” he nudged Matt onto his feet and pushed him to Vanya, smiling.

 

Vanya looked unsure but Matt walked up to him and put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “You should lead.” They began to dance slowly.

 

“I’m guessing you like the clothes?”

 

Vanya was so focused on their dancing that he got a bit startled, “Much better than my old ones, yes.” This was the third time he was this close to the brown haired man, why was he getting nervous now?

 

“Describe them to me.” Matt whispered. “I’d like to know what the man I’m dancing with looks like right now.”

 

Vanya got a bit flustered, “How do you want me to describe them? Colors?” he asked.

 

“Colors would do just fine. I wasn’t born blind after all, I know what they look like.”

 

“Well, the pants are brown, the shirt is dark gray and the vest is blue. It all fits me well.” Vanya didn’t know what more he could say, he was a little preoccupied with the fact that his stomach was filled with butterflies.

 

“I uhh.. I like the sound of your voice,” Matt stammered a little. Vanya felt his cheeks warm up.

 

They twirled slowly in circles. “I feel a little dizzy..” Vanya said in a low tone.

 

“Light headed?”

 

“Yeah..”

 

“Me too.” They slowed to a stop and held each others hands. “Probably from spinning. Maybe we should stop.” Matt suggested.

 

“We have stopped.”

 

They leaned closer. “I..” Matt trailed off as his lips moved closer to Vanya’s. Vanya closed his eyes. Sergei barked. Matt stopped and pulled back right before kissing him. “You uhh.. you did good.” Matt said before hurrying back to their cabin. Vanya watched him go, confused as to what just happened while Foggy looked incredibly disappointed and gave Sergei the stink eye. The dog stuck his tongue out, not sorry at all.

 

Back in the cabin, Vanya was getting ready to sleep. Foggy was climbing into bed and Matt was already asleep on the floor. They had flipped a coin to decide who got the floor as there was only one bunk bed in their cabin. Matt lost.

 

Sergei jumped around the floor, landing on Matt’s bag. The bag flipped over and a golden box fell out of it. Vanya picked it up, the box was incredibly familiar. Like it was special. A special secret shared between two people. Sergei nudged his head tiredly on Vanya’s leg, wanting to go to sleep, so he put the box back into Matt’s bag and went to bed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Fisk and Wesley watched Vladimir through the magic mirror as he finally fell asleep. They had been waiting for this moment.

 

“Sweet dreams, Vladimir. This time, you can’t escape me.” he smirked darkly.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Green smoked entered through the ventilation and into their cabin. It swirled around the room, glowing eerily until it found its target. The smoke turned golden and transformed into butterflies, circling above Vanya’s head. It made him dream of a sweet memory, the time he and his family went on a picnic one late summer. The leaves had begun to lose its color but it was still warm, the perfect weather for a day outside.

 

His sisters woke him from a nap, giggling and calling his name. “Vladimir! Come now, wake up! We’re going swimming!” they said.

 

Vladimir happily woke up and saw his family on top of a hill, waiting for him. His father, mother and brother were there as well. His brother waved him over and his sisters were calling him so he stood up and walked towards them.

 

“Wait, I’m coming!”

He walked towards their voices, where the laughter and the warmth was, the butterflies leading him. He felt like he was swaying, floating.

 

He climbed up the cliff where his sister were a moment ago. They were now swimming in the lake underneath the cliff, having jumped down earlier. The rest of his family was also there, swimming and having a good time. They were waiting for him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Matt woke up with start. Sergei was barking loudly and he felt like there was something missing. He quickly scanned the heartbeats in the room. Vanya’s heartbeat was missing.

 

He could hear the storm raging outside and feared the worst. He stood up and ran to the deck, the intense swaying slowing him down.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Vladimir looked down at the lake, where his brother was waving cheerily at him.

 

“Come one, малютка, jump in!” he said as he smiled.

 

Vladimir smiled back.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Matt held grabbed anything he could to steady himself on the deck. He let his senses wash over the boat, spotting Vanya standing on the edge of it.

 

“Vanya!” he screamed, scrambling to get to him, “Stop!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Vladimir was about to jump in when he heard a familiar voice calling him. It was telling him to stop. He regained a bit of his consciousness.

 

His brother in the lake called out to him louder. “Jump, Vladimir!”

 

He looked down to the lake where, instead of brother’s face, he saw a hideous monster.

 

“JUMP!”

 

Vladimir screamed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Matt grabbed onto Vanya and held him as tightly as he could. He dragged the both of them back onto the deck.

 

“Vanya! Wake up! WAKE UP!” he frantically shook the man’s shoulders, trying to get him back from his nightmare.

 

Vanya opened his eyes with a gasp and took in big gulps of air, like he had been drowning. “The Ranskahov Curse!” he said in between gasps.

 

“What?”

 

“I keep seeing faces!” Vanya gasped out. He had forgotten who he saw in the dream, he just had a feeling like something precious had been ripped from him. He held onto Matt tightly and laid his ear on the other man’s chest, listening to the thump of his heart. “So many faces.” he sobbed.

 

Matt hugged Vanya back, squeezing him. “It’s alright. I got you. It was just a nightmare.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

A green lightning bolt struck, shattering the magic mirror.

 

“NO!” Fisk yelled, slamming his hands down onto the table repeatedly.

 

“Easy, master. It won’t do you any good to get angry.”

 

“You’re right, Wesley. I’m calm.” He slowed his hands down and his breathing steadied. “I know now what I have to do. I have to kill Vladimir with my own bare hands.”

 

“But sir, that would mean you’d have to go to the living world in your condition.” Wesley looked concerned for his master, flapping his wings at a faster rate.

 

“It’s alright Wesley. I can handle it.” He looked up. “It’s been awhile since I went to Paris. It’s time to visit again.”

 

The magic key transported them ‘up’, to the living world.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> малютка : little one, babbie
> 
> Well the next few days might get a bit busier so who knows when I can post the next chapter but I'll try to do it as soon as possible! There are maybe 2-3 chapters left.
> 
> Please comment and share with me your thoughts :-)  
> (For those who haven't seen the previous notes, the notes that come after these notes are the ones from the first chapter and seem to be some kind of bug. Pay it no mind.)


	7. The Ballet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vladimir and Anatoly finally had a chance to meet but Matt fucks it up.

In Paris, the Grand Duke and Emperor Anatoly sat in his cousin’s mansion, listening to yet another man drawl on about his and Vladimir’s shared memories. A strawberry blonde haired woman stood by, listening and hoping this was the right one.

 

But the more Anatoly listened the more certain he was that this was not the one the man he was looking for. He waved his hand, dismissing him.

 

The woman lead the man out of the room and came back in with tea.

 

“Anatoly?” He turned towards her. “I’m really sorry, I thought maybe this was the right one.” She handed him a cup.

 

He took it gratefully and raised it to his lips. He was about to take a sip but stopped and sighed. He set it down on the table again and looked up at the woman, seeing the question in her eyes.

 

“Karen, my heart can’t take this anymore.” he said. “I don’t want to see any more men claiming to be my brother.”

 

Anatoly stood up and left the room as Karen sadly watched him go. She felt bad for her cousin and wanted to do something to make him feel better.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A car was driving to Karen’s mansion in Paris. Three people were in the car but one was silent, excited for a meeting while the others were having a conversation.

 

“Now, where was Uncle Boris from?” Matt asked.

 

“What if Karen doesn’t recognize me?”

 

“She will! You’re Vladimir!”

 

“It’s just that.. a little while ago I didn’t have a past at all and now I’m trying to remember an entire lifetime.”

 

“Hey, it’s okay, that’s why you’ve got me. Now, where was Uncle Boris from?”

 

“Moscow?” Vanya answered, unsure.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Foggy knocked on the front door of the mansion. His energy thrumming. A woman opened the door.

 

“Karen Page! How good it is to see you!” Foggy said excitedly.

 

She looked surprised, “Foggy Nelson! What an unexpected surprise!” she offered her hand to him and he kissed it. “Come in!”

 

After they had said their hellos, Foggy went on to introduce Vladimir.

 

“May I present to you, His Imperial Highness, Vladimir Ranskahov!” he said as he waved to Vanya.

 

Karen circled Vanya, looking at him from all sides. “Well, he looks very much like Vladimir…” she stopped at his scar.

 

“Accident in the years he was gone.” Foggy hurriedly added.

 

Karen nodded, looking a little doubtful but decided to go on with the questions anyway.

 

“Where were you born?”

 

“At the Peterhof Palace.”

 

“Correct. And how does Vladimir like his tea?”

 

“I don’t like tea, just hot water and lemon.”

 

“Good..” and so the questions continued, getting harder as they went on but Vanya managed to answer all of them correctly. Karen was happy with the man so far, but as she remembered Anatoly’s sad look, she decided to ask one last question.

 

“Finally, you’ll most likely find this impertinent but..” she began as Foggy looked on, interested, sitting beside her. “indulge me. How did you escape during the siege of the palace?”

 

Vanya looked deep in thought at the question while the only other person who knew the answer in the room, Matt, gulped.

 

Vanya clutched onto his necklace, “There was a boy.. who worked in the palace. He opened a wall.” He shook his head, “It sounds crazy.”

 

But Matt looked at him in wonder. He recalled that night, the night he lost his sight. He walked outside the mansion.

 

“So, what do you think, Karen? Is he a Ranskahov?” Foggy asked.

 

“Well, he answered every question..” She looked hopeful as well.

 

Foggy cheered, “So when do we get to meet the Emperor?” he asked.

 

Karen looked disappointed, “I’m sorry, but he won’t see anyone.”

 

“What? Isn’t there anything you can do? We only need a little time with him.”

 

“Well… do you like the Russian Ballet?” She asked as she turned to Vanya. He remembered sneaking into a theatre once with a few other kids to watch a ballet. The ballerinas powerful movements were mesmerizing, so he simply nodded his head to Karen. She looked hopeful once again, “They’re performing tonight! The Emperor and I love to watch the ballet so we never miss it.”

 

They had gotten their chance! Foggy ran out the mansion to tell Matt while Vanya stayed inside.

 

“Matt, we did it! We’re going to see His Imperial Highness tonight and get the 10 million rubles!” he cheered as he hugged his friend. He let him go and cheered some more.

 

“Foggy. Foggy! He really is the Prince.” Matt tried to tell him but he was too excited to hear him.

 

Vanya suddenly walked out of the mansion. “Come back inside, Karen wants to take us shopping.” He had never been shopping in Paris before, he couldn’t even imagine it.

 

She took them all out to get so many new clothes. She bought suits for them for their stay in Paris and took them to sightsee the city.

 

Matt liked walking these unfamiliar streets with all the new noises around him. It was a breath of fresh air. Vanya linked their arms.

 

“Karen is really spoiling us.” he said to Matt, watching as Foggy and Karen darted around the place and smiling. He still wasn’t sure if he was the Prince or not but he was sure he had made some good friends.

 

“Yeah..” Matt said distractedly.

 

Vanya was going to ask him what was wrong when he was interrupted by Karen dragging him away, to show him the best parts of Paris.

 

They spent the rest of the day in crowded places, Vanya never finding a good chance to talk to Matt but he had a good time despite that. Matt thought about the truth he had found out and about how he would never get to spend time with Vanya again after he was reunited with his brother. He thought about the man he had met in Russia, how far he had come seeking his dream and the Prince from the past. Matt made up his mind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Matt and Foggy sat at the stairs of the ballet theatre. Foggy was clearly nervous, walking back and forth.

 

“We don’t have to worry about anything Foggy, he’s the Prince.”

 

He sat down beside his friend on the steps. “I know, I know.”

 

“No, you don’t know.” Matt hesitated for a moment before steeling himself, “Foggy, I was the boy. In the palace. The one who opened the wall. Well, it was actually the servants corners.. but the important thing is that he’s the real deal, Foggy. He’s Vladimir.”

 

“That means.. that Vladimir has found his family.” Foggy looked at Matt, teary-eyed and happy that they helped their new friend reach his dream. “We found the heir to the Russian throne..” he whispered, amazed. His face dropped. “But, Matt, you..”

 

“Will walk out of his life forever.”

 

“But..”

 

“Princes don’t marry kitchen boys, Foggy.”

 

Foggy still looked unconvinced.

 

Matt sighed. “We’re going to go through with this as if nothing happened, okay? We don’t tell him, we just help him meet the Emperor.”

 

“You’ve got to tell him, Matt.”

 

“Tell me what?”

 

Matt looked to the direction of Vladimir’s voice. “Oh, um, nothing. Let’s just go inside.” he said as they linked arms and walked inside. Karen and Foggy followed after them.

 

The people inside the theatre were shocked to see Vladimir. He looked incredibly handsome in his suit. The scar only enchanting his features.

 

Vladimir lead Matt up the stairs and to their seats. Their seats were further in the back, away from Foggy who had seats in one of the verandas. Matt had insisted that he was okay with ‘bad’ seats as he couldn’t really watch the ballet anyway. He wanted Vladimir to sit with Foggy so he could enjoy the show. Karen would have none of it and tried to convince him to sit with them but he refused. In the end, Vladimir offered to sit with him, as he could see just fine from anywhere in the theatre and that was that. Karen had given Vladimir a pair of theatre glasses. She was going to signal him by waving her fan in their direction to show him where the Emperor was.

 

He saw them sitting in one of the verandas. Karen looked excited while the Emperor simply watched the stage. Vladimir hoped he’d remember him.

 

Matt noticed that Vladimir wasn’t watching the dance but fiddling with the brochure in his hands, ripping the paper into tiny pieces. He wanted to reassure him that everything was okay but it was rude to talk during the show, so he simply grabbed the blonde man’s hand and held it. They intertwined their fingers, Vladimir relaxed and Matt saved this into his memories. The last time he got to spend with Vladimir.

 

The dance finished.

 

“Come on, it’s time.” Matt said. They stood up and walked outside towards the veranda the Emperor sat in and stopped outside of the door.

 

“Wait here, I’m going to go inside first and announce you properly.”

 

“Matt..” Vladimir stopped him. “We’ve been through a lot of shi-.. stuff,” he stopped himself from cursing. “And uhh,” Matt noticed that Vladimir’s heart beat nervously and couldn’t help the tiny swell of hope inside of him. “I just.. wanted to thank you.” It didn’t look like that was all that he wanted to say but Vladimir just turned around, as Matt started walking towards the door again.

 

He hesitated just before opening the door. “Vanya.” Matt said, turning towards him again. Vladimir looked at him, hoping for.. something.

 

“I.. um.. “ Matt thought about all the possibilities between them as he stumbled for the right words to convey his feelings.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I.. wanted to wish you good luck, I guess.” He couldn’t say what he felt now that he knew Vladimir really was the Prince, their status was too far away. Vladimir deserved someone better.

 

Vladimir let out a quiet and disappointed “Oh.”

 

“Well, good luck.” Matt said one more time as he offered his hand. Vladimir took it and they shook hands. “Here goes.” Matt said as he finally opened the door.

 

He went inside but didn’t notice that the door jammed in his haste, leaving it slightly open.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Please inform His Majesty that I’ve found his younger brother, the Grand Duke Vladimir.” He announced loudly to Karen while she looked very giddy. “He’s waiting outside right now.”

 

This caught the Emperor’s attention.

 

“I’m sorry but the Emperor will see no one.” Karen replied, equally loudly, as she couldn’t quite keep the smile off her face.

“Karen, you can tell that man I’ve seen enough imposters of my малютка to last me a lifetime.” Anatoly said upsetly while he waved his hand to dismiss him.

 

Karen worried at her lip and turned to Matt. “You should really go.” She couldn’t bear to hurt her cousin more and especially not for a person she wasn’t even sure was the real Prince.

 

“Your Majesty.” Matt tried to convince him.

 

“Now leave me.” Anatoly said with a final air to it.

 

Karen grimaced. “Come to the door.” She said as she put the curtains separating them down and walked to the door.

 

Matt didn’t follow and walked to the Emperor instead. “Your Majesty,” he sat down beside him. “My name is Matt and I used to work at the palace.”

 

“That’s one I haven’t heard before.” Anatoly huffed and stood up from his seat, walking into the room while Matt followed him.

 

“Your Majesty, just hear me out.”

 

“No, I’ve seen men like you find people to act like Vladimir, I know what you’re after.”

 

“But it really is him.”

 

“It doesn’t matter how much you’ve trained him, fashioned him to talk like Vladimir and to act like Vladimir. In the end, it never is him.” He sounded sad at the last part.

 

“This time it really is!”

 

Vladimir walked closer to the door, hearing the semi argument from the gap.

 

“Matt..” Anatoly looked deep in thought. “I’ve heard of you. You’re that con man from St. Petersburg, holding auditions to look for Vladimir look-alikes.”

 

Vladimir’s heart quickened. This was the first time he’d heard of that.

 

“But Your Grace, we’ve come this far from Russia just to-”

 

“And others have come from further places.”

 

“It’s not that, it’s-” Matt tried to explain to him that Vladimir really was the true Prince.

 

“How much pain are you willing to inflict, how far are you willing to go for money?” Anatoly looked to the guards in the room. “Remove him.”

 

The two guards grabbed Matt’s arms and shoved him out of the door.

 

“But he really is Vladimir! Just try to speak to him!” And with that, he was thrown out of the room and landed on the floor, in front of Vladimir’s feet. He put his knee in front and pushed himself off the floor.

 

“You used me.” Vladimir’s voice held no affection, just icy anger and hurt. “I was just a part of your con to get his money?” He asked but started to walk away in anger.

 

“No!” Matt hurriedly said as he followed Vladimir. “Look, it may have started this way, but everything is different now. Because you really are Vladimir!”

 

“Stop it! You’ve been lying from the start and I actually believed you. I actually thought that-” He stopped himself before he could finish the sentence.

 

“Vladimir!” Matt didn’t stop and pulled on his arm to get his attention as they both continued to walk rushedly. “Please. When you spoke of the hidden door in the wall and the little boy.. listen to me, that was-”

 

“No! I don’t want to hear about anything I said or ‘remembered’, just leave me alone!”

 

Vladimir tried to walk away but Matt pulled him back, trying to get Vladimir to listen that the boy was him but Vladimir lost his patience and punched Matt in the face, knocking him back. Matt desperately tried to get Vladimir’s attention back but got pulled back from some other guests who had noticed all the commotion by this time. When he finally got free, Vladimir was nowhere to be found.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> малютка : little one, babbie
> 
> We finally got to meet Karen yay! Also I finally updated! I was actually going to write more tonight but I found out I got work tomorrow so no can do. Ah well, there are like 2 chapters left of this story so I'll focus on this whenever I have free time so I can finish it and start on other mattimir stories :-)
> 
> Don't forget to comment and let me know what you think!
> 
> P.S. I still don't know if the bug is fixed or not so here's a lil warning about the fact that the end notes from the first chapter appear after these end notes and to just ignore them. Since the first notes had a lot more Russian words, I'm letting you guys know so there's no confusion.

**Author's Note:**

> младший брат : little brother  
> На ветру, пересечь море : on the wind, cross the sea  
> Слушайте эту песню, и помнить : hear this song and remember  
> Скоро вы будете дома со мной : soon you'll be home with me  
> Однажды в декабре : once upon a December  
> вместе в Париже : together in Paris  
> брат : brother  
> малютка : little one, babbie  
> малютка : little one, babbie (used again)
> 
> Please comment and share with me your opinions! :-)


End file.
